Data Management

A well-defined data management strategy is now a must for any research activity.

ARC answers the data management needs of the WPI community with powerful tools and services, from providing secure and extensive storage to collaboration tools.

To request storage, access archived data, or for data management consultations, please contact ARCaccess@wpi.edu.

Data collaboration space across institutions

WPI offers researchers several options for sharing data with outside partners and institutions. ARC is currently running pilot programs testing two new powerful data sharing tools.

To enable multi-site research teams, WPI is implementing the Shibboleth/InCommon Authentication toolset. A process for generating account access is in place.

We are also testing the Integrated Rule Oriented Data System (iRODS), an open source data grid that allows users to share organized collections of data. Users can upload, download, and manage data on a storage server located at WPI and linked to a wider network of universities. At the moment, iROD user accounts are independent from WPI credentials. Individual WPI faculty and research personal can request an account for themselves and external collaborators.

Data management consultations

ARC staff will help you create and implement optimal data management strategies and identify potential issues. Our staff are experts in data management with extensive experience creating plans and using the latest tools.

Data management plan templates

Research grant proposals are increasingly requiring the submission of data management plans outlining how researchers will manage their project data. ARC staff will consult with you on building your plan and review completed plans prior to submission.

Data storage at WPI

Data storage is an integral component of data management and should be a major consideration of any research project. We encourage WPI faculty and student researchers to consider your data storage needs early in the research process and contact ARC to discuss your storage requirements and strategies. Large amounts of data can be shared directly from the Isilon storage server between WPI users.

Data storage capacity

WPI offers several options to safely store your research related data. We currently have about 168TB of tiered storage space divided over multiple storage arrays. This includes 70TB of exceptionally fast nodes and 98TB of fast nodes in a EMC Isilon enterprise level storage array housed at Gateway Park, which is purely dedicated to the research and academic needs of the university. We also provide multiple SAN solutions for fast read/write access in multiple locations for a total of 40TB.

Each faculty research group can request up to 2TB of enterprise level storage space, which can be accessed from all platforms (Windows, Unix and Mac).

Back-up, archival, and security

WPI is committed to the preservation and security of the data. We provide hourly snapshots of data allowing easy and immediate recover of information involuntary deleted by the users. Data is also mirrored to a safe off-campus location providing a state of the art disaster recovery (DR) environment.

Data security is also a topic of major attention, and strict access rules regarding stored data can be implemented and are highly customizable to satisfy your data needs. WPI enterprise storage services are password protected and remotely accessible.